Letters: Calling 911 -- and waiting
Re “Boundaries hold up L.A. 911 response,” Oct. 21
How is it possible that in a place the size of Los Angeles, the city and county rescue services most of the time do not communicate with each other during life-threatening emergencies? When 911 is called, not only should a well-trained operator answer, but the closest available paramedics and firefighters should be dispatched immediately, regardless of municipal boundaries.
The Times has reported this year that the Los Angeles Fire Department’s emergency response times lag behind other agencies’, and now we learn that a solution to better integrate the city’s and the county’s dispatch systems is not yet in sight, putting residents’ safety at risk. The county and city fire services have little, if any, effective coordination capabilities to ensure that the closest emergency teams are dispatched.
Our precious tax dollars should be spent on immediate solutions to maintain public safety. L.A. city and county residents deserve nothing less.
Lucie Bava
Cheviot Hills
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